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(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. P. ELLIOTT. APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURINGGAS.

Patented Aug. 16, 1892..

(No Model.)

6 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. P. ELLIOTT. APRARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS.

v Patented Aug 16, 1892.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 3.

* W. P. ELLIOTT.

APPARATUS FORMANUFAGTURING GAS. No. 480,919.

Patented Aug. 16,1892

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W. P. ELLIOTT. APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS.

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(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

W. P. ELLIOTT. A APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS.

N0. '480,91'9. Patented Aug. 16, 1892.

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W. P. ELLIOTT. APPARATUS FORMANUFAGTURING GAS.

No. 480,919: Patented Aug. 16, 1892.

UNITED STATES WALTER P. ELLIOTT,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF NE\V YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 480,919, dated August16, 1892.

Application filed January 13, 1890. Serial No. 336,733. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER P. ELLIOTT, of the city and county. of NewYork, in the State of New York, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Apparatus for Manufacturing Gas, of which the followingis a specification.

I will describe in detail an apparatus enlbodying myimprovement, andthen point out the novel features in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of apparatusadapted to carry out my improvement. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thesame. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of a portion of the apparatus,taken on the line so so, Fig. 2. Fig. l is a vertical section of acarbureting and fixing chamber employed, taken on the line y y, Fig. 1.Fig. 5 1s a vertical section of the same, taken on the line ,2 z,Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the same line as Fig. 4,but showing a slight modification. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are drawn to alarger scale than Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig. 6 is somewhat broken away.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

In carrying out my improvement I- first cause a fire of some suitablecarbonaceous material to be started in one or more producers, thecombustion being accelerated, when desired, by a blast of air or air andsteam. The resulting gaseous products are conveyed through a suitableoutlet to a superheating and fixing chamber, which may also be acarbureting-chamber, where sufficient air is admitted to produce propercombustion of the gases. The gases are causedwhile in a state ofcombustion to pass about the exterior of tubes or retorts arranged inthe said chamber, thus heating said tubes or retorts to a hightemperature. When the materials in the producer or producers haveacquired a sufficient temperature to dissociate and farther on decomposesteam, the supply of air or air and steam is cut off, the outlet for theproducts of combustion is closed, and an outlet for gas is opened. Steamby itself or in combination with the gaseous products from one or moreproducers, or in combination with the products of distillation ofcarbonaceous or hydrocarbonaceous material, or steam in combination withthe gaseous products from one or more producers and the products of thedistillation of carbonaceous or hydrocarbonaceous material, is thenadmitted to the producer or producers, previously heated, as abovereferred to. After passing through the above-referred-to heated produceror producers the gaseous product is conveyed away to the aforesaid tubesor retorts arranged in the chamber. The temperature of the said tubes orretorts is sufficiently high to preheat and superheat the base-gaspassing through the tubes or retorts, so that when the base-gas comes incontact with carbureting material, should such be used in the tubes orretorts, its temperature will be sufficiently high to materially aid in'the destructive distillation of the carbureting material and, shouldsteam be used, to decompose it. The temperature of the tubes or retortsis also sufficiently high to decompose hydrocarbonaceous material.

During the passage of the gas through the tubes or retorts it isoarbureted or not, according as it is desired to make illuminating orheating gas. If carbureted, such carbureting is effected by the additionof the products of distillation from liquid hydrocarbon, bituminous orcannel coals, shale, or any suitable carbonaceous material. In themanufacture of heating-gas steam may,if desired, be introduced to thetubes or retorts. The gas in its further passage through the tubes orretorts is converted into a fixed gas and issues from the tubes orretorts into the hydraulic main, and thence passes into and through thescrubbers, condensers, purifiers, &c., in the usual way.

A designates producers, of which I have shown four, but of which I mayuse one or any desired number. These producers may be of any suitableconstruction which adapts them for the production of gases. I have shownthem as circular and provided upon their tops with manholes a. Anysuitable carbonaceous 1naterialsuch, for instance, as coal, eitherbituminous or anthracitehaving been placed in one or more, as desired,of the producers, the same is ignited in any well known manner. Air orair together with steam is then introduced, preferably in the form of ablast. ered in the direction of the arrow 1, Fig. 1, through the pipe B.From the pipe B extend The air, as shown, is deliv-- branch pipes Z) andfrom the branch pipes 11 other branch pipes b. The branch pipes bcommunicate with the interior of the producers. Each of the branch pipesb is provided with a stop-cock b by which the flow of air to theproducer may be regulated, or in the case of steam and air being usedthe flow of steam in like manner can be regulated by a stop-cock 71. orboth steam' and air may be wholly discontinued from any of theproducers, as desired. The air may issue to the producers beneath thebody of coal or directly against the body of coal, or when airand steamare introduced together both may thus be admitted.

Extending from the producers are pipes 0, provided with stop-cocks 0.These pipes communicate with a stand-pipe or stand-pipes D, which standpipe or pipes are provided with stopcocks d d, the former above and thelatter below the point of connection between the pipe 0 and the pipe orpipes D. The pipe or pipes D communicate at their lower ends with anaccumulator E in the form, as here shown, of a horizontally-extendingpipe, and at its or their upper end or ends with an accumulator F, alsoin the form of a horizonta1ly-extending pipe. The accumulator Ecommunicates with distributors G in the form, as shown, ofhorizontally-extending pipes, which distributers are provided withstop-cocks g. From the distributers G, in this instance, extend a numberof pipes g, which pipes extend to the interior of a chamber H near thebottom of the latter. The chamber H is a superheating and fixingchamber; but it may also be a carbureting-chamber. The gaseous productsfrom the producer or producers pass therefrom through the pipes C to thepipe or pipes D and thence to the accumulator E, the stop cock or cocksat having previously been closed to prevent the passage of any of saidproducts to the accumulator F. From the accumulator E such products passthrough one or both of the distributers G, and thence through the pipesg to the interior of the chamber H. I desire that when the gases thusenter the carbureting or fixing chamber suflicient air should beadmitted to produce proper combustion. For this purpose I, as shown,cause a portion of the air entering through the pipe B to pass through apipe I to a pipe I. The pipe I is provided with cocks/i 77,0116 uponeach side of the point of connection between the pipesI I. The pipe Icommunicates with the chamberI-l near the bottom and upon both sides ofthe latter. As shown, said pipe connects with chambers 2' extendinglengthwise of the chamber H. Opening from said chambers 2' are tuyeres43, which tuyeres are adjacent to the inner ends of the pipes I. The airthus introduced through the tuyeres will commingle with the gaseousproducts entering through the pipes g and produce a proper combustion ofsaid products.

The chamber H, I have shown as having near its bottom an open portion J,in which are arranged a number of piers 9'. Between the piers j extendarches 7' as shown more clearly in Fig. 5. These piers and archessupport a number of tubes j (shown more clearly in Fig. 5,) which tubesconstitute retorts.

1 have shown the chamber H as divided vertically by a partition-wall h,so that there are in efiect, in this example of my improve ment, twocompartments to the chamber, to one or both of which the gaseousproducts, just described, may be delivered from one or moreproducersthroughthe distributers G,arranged upon opposite sides of thechamber. This may be accomplished by operating the stopcocksg and "I;t".

The pipes j are preferably of refractory material-such, for instance, asfire-clay-and are separated from each other in such manner as to atfordclear spaces about them for the passage of the gases in a state ofcombustion. I have shown them as arranged in rows extending widthwise ofthe carbureting and fixing chamber and as separated from each other andsupported by means of blocks 9 which blocks are made, preferably, ofrefractory material-such, for instance, as fireclay. The burning gasesin their upward passage through the chamber H are caused in thisillustration of my improvementto pursue a circuitous course about thepipes j by means of deflector-plates K,which deflector-platesalternately abut near one of i their ends against the wall of thechamber and against the partitionwall, those abutting against the wallof the chamber not extending quite to the dividing partition-wall h andthose abutting against the partition-wall not extending quite to theopposite wall of the chamber. Thecourse of the gases is shown moreclearly in Fig. 4 by the arrows in dotted lines. This upward movement ofthe gasesin a state of combustion heats the pipes or retorts j to a hightemperature, the degree of which has been previously described. Thepipes or retortsj having been brought to the proper temperature, one ormore of the cocks d may be closed and one or more of the cocks d opened.At the same time certain of the cocks b, bywhich air is admitted to thepreviouslyheated producers, may be closed. To the producers from whichair is cut off steam by itself or in combination with thegaseousproducts from one or more producers or in combination with theproducts of distillation of carbonaceous or hydrocarbonaceous material,or steam in combination with the gaseous products fromone or moreproducers and the products of the distillation of carbonaceousorhydrocarbonaceous material, is admitted from branch pipes a or S,cocks h h therein being opened, so that steam or the other productsdescribed may flow directly into the producer or producers. The steam orother products passes upwardly through the incandescent mass of coal inthe producer or producers and is combined, dissociated, or

decomposed, according to the product thus introduced. The gaseousproduct thus produced then passes through the pipe or pipes C and thepipe or pipesD to the accumulator F, and from thence through a pipe L tothe upper portion of the chamber H.

I have shown the pipeL as extendingalong one side of the said chambernear the top thereof and in open communication with a chamber Z, formedin said chamber H. The upper row of the pipesj open at one of their endsinto the chamber Z. The gas passing through the pipe L is thereforedeliveredinto the said upper row of the pipes j Referring moreparticularly to Fig.4 it will be seen that passages Z are formed in theside walls of the chamber H, by which communication is aiforded from therow or rows of pipes above to those below. These openings are soarranged relatively to each other upon opposite sides of the chamberthat the downflowing gas will be caused to pursue a circuitous course toand fro through the pipes from side to side of the chamber, as indicatedmore clearly by the arrows in full lines in said figure. The pipes, itwill be observed in this instance, extend through the partition-wall h,and therefore through both of the chambers or compartments which areformed by said partition-wall.

When the gas has been preheated and superheated to such a temperature inits passage through the pipes that it will decompose a hydrocarbon, Icarburet the gas either wholly or in part. 7 I have shown two means foraccomplishing this result. By the means shown more particulary in Figs.2 and 4 I cause a liquid hydrocarbonsuch, for in stance, as petroleum-tobe injected into certain of the pipes 7' The liquid hydrocarbon flowsthrough a stand-pipe M, from which stand-pipe extend laterally-arrangedpipes N. From these laterally-arranged pipes nozzles 01 extend throughthe wall of the carbureting and fixing chamber and into the ends of thepipes opposite which they are arranged. I prefer that the outlets forthese nozzles shall be restricted, so that the hydrocarbon will bedelivered into the pipes in the form of aspray. Cocks n-upon the nozzlesmay be operated to regulate the flow of the hydrocarbon. In the otherexample of my improvement shown the pipes or retortsj are somewhatenlarged. In these pipes or retorts I place a solid carbonaceoussubstance, such as bituminous or cannel coal or shale rich inhydrocarbon. The down-flowing gas passes over the beds of carbonaceousmaterial, which of course are highly heated, and thus becomescarbureted. In fact I may use both of the means described forcarbureting the gas, if I sodesire. The gas in its farther passage downthrough the pipes or retorts becomes fixed and issues .in the lowerportion of the chamber through a pipe 0, from which it passes to theusual purifiers, scrubbers, &c.

I may use but one of the producers or any desired number. By using anumber of pro ducers I am enabled to maintain a continuous processthatis to say, gaseous products from one or more of the producers havingbeen passed'to one side of the chamber H and the pipes or retorts havingbeen sufficiently heated thereby, the same may be turned off, asdescribed,'and the steam or other products introduced and passed throughto the tubes or retorts in the chamber H. While this last operation isbeing carried on otherproducers may be employed in the production of gaswhich will be passed to the other part of .the chamber H for the purposeof heating the tubes or retorts therein, or in the production of gaswhich will be passed to the same side of the chamber H for the purposeof maintaining the heat therein, so that by thusalternatingtheoperations of the producers not only can the process bemade continuous, but the temperature in the chamber II or any partthereof may be always maintained ata proper degree.

By the use of my process and apparatus the gaseous product during thecombustion of the carbonaceous material in the producer or producers iscaused to heat the pipes or retorts through which the heatingorilluminating gas passes, and there will therefore be no waste of heat,while at the same time the same carbonaceous material from which thefirst gaseous product is evolved is employed to dissociate and decomposethe steam or other aeriform fluid to make the heating or illuminatinggas.

I have shown pipes S provided with stopcocks h", by which pipescommunication is aiforded between the various producers or generators.

It may sometimes be desirable to manufacture fuel-gas only, and in suchcase carbureting maybe deemed unnecessary. I desire, however, in such anevent to introduce steam to the tubes or retorts, and I have shown asteam-pipe R, from which extend branch' pipes r, all provided withsuitable cocks 1'. From the branch pipes 'r nozzles r extend through thewall of the chamber I-I andinto certain of the tubes or retorts. By thismeans steam may be introduced to the tubes or retorts during the passageof the gaseous products from said tubes or retorts. In fact, steam maybe introduced and employed while the gaseous product is also beingcarbureted, if desired.

WhatI claim as my invention, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In apparatus for manufacturing gas, the combination, with a generatorin which carbonaceous material is burned, of a pipe or passage for theintroduction of aeriform fluid containing oxygen thereto, a fixingretortchamber, a pipe or passage from said generator to the said chamberfor conveying to the latter the gaseous products resulting from theintroduction of said aeriform fluid to the generator, fixing tubes orretorts arranged in said chamber and externally heated by said gaseousproducts, a pipe or passage from the generator to and communicating withsaid tubes or retorts for conveying gaseous products from the generatorto said tubes or retorts, and pipes for introducing steam into saidtubes or retorts, there to mingle with said gaseous products duringtheir passage through said tubes or retorts, substantially as specified.

2. In apparatus for manufacturing gas, the combination, with a generatorin which carbonaceous material is burned, of a pipe or passage for theintroduction of aeriform fluid containing oxygen thereto, a fixingretortchamber, a pipe or passage from said generator to said chamber,having branch pipes for conveying to said chamber gaseous productsresulting from the introduction of said aeriform fluid to the generator,fixing tubes or retorts arranged in said chamber and externally heatedby said gaseous products, and pipes or passages from the generator tothe tubes or retorts for conveying gaseous products from the generatorto said tubes or retorts, the said fixing-chamber being divided intoseparate compartments, through both of which said fixing tubes orretorts extend and into either or both of which compartments the gaseousproducts first referred to may be introduced for the purpose of heatingsaid tubes or retorts, substantially as specified.

3. In apparatus for manufacturinggas, the

combination, with two or more generators inwhich carbonaceous materialis burned, of pipes or passages for the introduction of aeriform fluidcontaining oxygen thereto, a fixing retort-chamber, pipes or passagesfrom the said generators to the said chamber for conveying to the lattergaseous products resulting from the introduction of said aeriform fluidto the generators, fixing tubes or retorts arranged in said chamber andheated by said gaseous products, pipes or passages from the generatorsto the said chamber for conveying to the tubes or retorts gaseousproducts from the generators, and intercommunicating passages betweensaid generators, whereby the gaseous products from one generator may bedischarged into another near the lower end thereof, substantially asspecified.

WALTER P. ELLIOTT.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH FLANNERY, FREDK. HAYNES.

